This month I've been away so much - I got back from nearly 3 weeks away on Sunday night and today I left first thing in the morning for a conference which I'll be at until Sunday. I felt awful seeing how excited my cats were to see me when I got back (I have a flatmate who's been looking after them while I've been gone but they're quite attached and cuddly with me) and how clearly annoyed they were that I was leaving just a few days later. I gave them as much attention and time as I could while I was there but I still feel awful for being away so much. I know my flatmate is great and looks after them well but I still have this huge amount of guilt hanging over me at the moment.

_________________"Your mother was a superstitious hamster, and your father smelled of elderberry (right before he died of an untreated infection). Now go away, before we taunt you with your credulous magical thinking a second time!" - Desdemona

I'm pretty sure our lab has a clogged tear duct :( we gave her some Benadryl and are taking her to the vet Monday (or tomorrow if it gets worse). Ugh, I feel so bad. This is the same eye that got super goopy and gross in the spring from allergies, and I'm thinking that's what caused it. Poor girl :(

Ugh, my mom woke me up this morning to say Lola had started yelping in pain when she tried to yawn, so we went to the e-vet. It's not a clogged duct, and is most likely an abscess, mass, or the start of some sort of auto immune disease that causes weakening of the jaw muscles. Because of how quick it came on, it's likely an abscess, so she's on antibiotics and pain meds. If its not significantly better by Tuesday morning or gets worse between now and tomorrow, we have to take her back in for a CT or ultra sound of her head. Really, really hoping its just an abscess. The prognosis for everything else doesn't sound good. We just lost our Pom in April, I'm not ready to loose another, especially when she is so young :(

While I was babysitting last night I was flicking through my photos on the laptop and found this. Lexi NEVER stays still when I have the camera out but she decided to photobomb this slow shutter speed one on new years eve.

I'm still in amazement at managing to get a photo of her. I was once at that very same beach for nearly 3 hours with about 20 other photographers from the club and nobody managed to get a photo of her because she moves so fast.

I was babysitting yesterday/last night and there was also a dog that needed minding too. After the experience, I can now say..... Lexi doesn't bark as much as the neighbours say. This dog was unreal. Like even at 2am it was still barking every half hour or so. And I mean it was proper barking. When Lexi barks it is 2 barks and she is done. I counted today and Lexi went a full 6 hours without a bark. After yesterday and dealing with another dog...... Lexi is actually quiet enough. Definitely not the quietest dog but definitely quiet.

I got such a fright from the crazy woman that day that I never went and actually looked at the photos until last night. Was thrilled. She didn't come out too sharp because of the long exposure but I don't care! Finally have a photo of my beautiful baby!

I have a similar problem with the macaw. He always goes to attack the camera. I think I need a long range telephoto lens like paparazzi use.

Molly went for "grooming" yesterday, which is a euphemism for clipping wings (sad but she gets obnoxious and does dangerous things), and nails. They used a dremel on her nails and she kept alternating between "mom, they are killing your sweet baby" squawks of severe distress with "hi baby" chatter when she forgot she is supposed to hate this. Birds usually like the dremel--the macaw loves it.

Now she doesn't gouge with her nails!

_________________"This is the creepiest post ever if you don't know who Molly is." -Fee"a vegan death match sounds like something where we all end up hugging." -LisaPunk

Just back from a lovely day out. Had a doggie playdate/walk planned with my cousin and her dog. I was running early so I brought Lexi in for a walk around 2 different pet shops so she could have a sniff around. She's a regular in the first so that was uneventful but in the second one a vet nurse from the practice above the shop couldn't stop heaping the praise on Lex. She said she was the best behaved GSD she has come across in the shop. She said normally they bark alot in the shop but there wasn't a peep out of my girl and she didn't even react to other dogs around, even the one that snapped at her. I got congratulated on how well behaved she was and that it goes to show what an impact a good owner has on a dog. Must say.... it felt absolutely fabulous considering just a few weeks ago I was so upset that I wasn't a good owner and had a badly behaved nuisance dog according to the neighbours.

Today, Tegan crossed the side street near our house. I'm sure it's nothing to most dogs, but it was a big deal for her. When we go for a walk, we go past our house, the next door neighbours' house, and then a vacant house. After the vacant house is a side street. She ALWAYS gets scared and stops dead after the vacant house, so we usually walk to the vacant house and back, and repeat that a few times. Today, she kept looking across the street, like she was thinking about it. I was feeding her treats for looking at the other side. Then she pulled me into the vacant house's yard and looked at the street through the fence. Finally, she got up the courage and walked across the street. She sniffed around a tree stump on the other side of the street for a few minutes, and then turned around and we walked back, and she didn't panic once! She seemed so pleased with herself when we got home. She was wagging her tail and jumping around, like "Yay! I did it!"

The macaw is scared of all sorts of things, including Molly's rope perch/swing in my office. She is sitting on it starting at him, and he is cowering back like it is about to attack him. Silly sweetie.

_________________"This is the creepiest post ever if you don't know who Molly is." -Fee"a vegan death match sounds like something where we all end up hugging." -LisaPunk

Yay, Tegan! Sounds like she's growing less and less afraid thanks to your love and careful attention raspberries!

Something weird happened this morning with Thurston, my only cat at the moment. So, after I woke up, I sort of shouted into the closet as I passed (where I keep the urns with my cat's ashes) "Hi babies!" in my baby talk voice I use to talk to the cats because, yes, I talk to their urns and anyway, Thurston must have witnessed this and recognized the voice I use kind of exclusively to address my kitties and he's been sitting outside the closet all morning, staring into it and just sitting there and waiting. I think he thinks Kizzy (my recently departed cat) is in there. I feel bad for confusing him and getting his hopes up. I guess I better only talk to my departed kitties when he's not around...

Lexi does loud farts. She always looks at her butt with complete surprise afterwards. Luckily they never smell unless she has a bug.

She is competing to be the worlds most annoying dog today. It is kinda hot and incredibly humid today and I actually think she doesn't know what to do with herself. Going for another walk isn't an option yet and none of her toys or games..... damn.... even her kong isn't holding her attention.

Oh wait...... she is lying down now...... Thank God because Monsters Inc is on.